Fertilizer distributor



Sept. 2, 1930. F, R. BowMAN 1,774,960

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTORy Filed D90. 13, 1926 @El Eg-E 1 -the ertilzing mfterial,sc longasthegvvater` :Cludes @bottom lOfwhiCh may be Of PolyeO Ynal ferma-tion andi-at opposite sides thereof f 'I0 i and l2. Since the.upstandng Wall structure lar reference characters sponding partsthroughout substantially on thelineV la plane at right' ,40V

Ptented VSepif 2, 193()V f :This invention relates tozimprovements in.meansjior distributing liquid fertilizer;

- 1 The primary object of this inventionisthe provision f of animproved' `liquid fertilizer distributor, embodying Vnovel meansjorpermitting the feed of vvater intoaertilizing materal,to insure an evenpercentage of sointion- 01C Lj 'ertilizin'gr material, Without thejuseof moving partsor' loss of efficiency.I .further obfeet Lof thisinventionisthe provisionV of an; improved fertilizing'eone tainer,adapted to he detachahly hooked in an ordinary' Water conduit or hose,andvvhereilfl fertilizer isdisposed in such relationthat thewatermaypass `from the hosej in to the iertilizing` Chamber andxuniformlydissolve" Hows thru the hose; A

Af further object of .this 'invention isthe provision-v of improvedmeans adapted to Vloe connected in aeonventionalhose or leo'nduit linewhereinvvater is carried, forthe purpose.

of .obtaining a constant l-pereeiitage lof solution of Waterandyfertlizinglm f pressures in the supply line. Q i

aerial; :a auf Other objects and advantages fof? this '1invention VWillbe apparent dl'i'ringthe. eo'urseofV the followingdetailed description..f

the several views, Y Figurel isa vertlealf'sectional; vlewtaken i A'thru .the improved.y fertilizingf distributor, inf

v on the line lfl `i l Wallsrflg bild-141.;

a vertic alplane substantiall 2-42 of FigureV 1,-. in'. tingles to. thevertical piane;

OfFgure Figure 8 is airagmentaryfplanview 0 j;f`-de .r tails of theyimproved j'ertilizing distrbutor.

YFigures 4C and gare transverse @Sectional Vv"vs/ithanofzzleattaehedthereto5g-g; 1

In 'the drawing, wherein fori the v purpose Y Figure 6is aperspeetiveview' proved iertllizingvdistri Y sameconneetedin azhoseorsupply line and;

ally ,onther respective buter, showing the v b odment oli-thisinvention,l

' supply line C` which may be 0f the supply .Means F is provided intliehous- @ingr 4 for eq f rial inY such relation ythat uniform andfeon'-the. remai ni ng side integral or Welded,

Y provi de compartment designate corre:

the same ofjllustrationislshovvn only lapreferredennthe letterA mayroved Vfertilizing generallydesignate the imp distributor,fvvhich maycomprise a housing B- adaptedto be detaehably eonneetedgfin .a

and having nozzlev means line Uforejection of the liquid fertilizer.maintaining the fertilizing -mate-v stant percentage ofl the Vsame istaken up zhy Waterpassing thru theVhousing B, at all 'tmes, independentofthegrate offlovvof Water andthe height ofi'fertilizer thehousingB f fYl eferring` the housing: B, the

the samegisjprovided with vertical Walls :ll

j part ofthe housing B, forfpart of thej housing B 'ispreferahlyfour-sided,

pt redl upwardly in from the bottom l0, and vare suitably seeured orother vvallsll f and 12=ahove;mentioned, ato.V

is a dapted l t o` passfas, .'Willsbe subsequently Ment'imed, :to pick iterial.` -g Th in formation, as is of the drawin"g,;due to theullvvar'dly` sloping .15mm Whichever-er.

verticvalvvallsll and estillustrated-'in Figu're theintersectonpf theWallS-1'3ti1d114e-et:the topf th housing B;

` fpreferablyprovdedwith-a han- :j 1 At;l thetop portions#Y of I itetti?, Suitable-lievi l'rol easings F305 and 3 f 1ol n a coupling 41 ofconventional character.

the casing a vertical partition wall 44 Ais provided,immediatelyifaeingthe passageway thruthe nippleto,

'receive certain valve 7 Referring toy the `lcasing thereof is providedwith a nally screw threaded .nipple 40, which may be connected inasupply line 'C by means "of against which the water 'engages as itv'enters the casing portion k30;

' The wall'44- terminates at itslower endvabo've thereis connectedandinspaced relation with the wall 35, and with the main wall 11 ofthe"lroiisi'ng` B `by means of ainarrow horilzon'talwall-46', wherein an`opening 47 isproided,and ovenwhich opening 47 .a `ball valve^49 isadapted to seat, inthe. nature of acheclr valve, and operating in acompartcompartment.. 15 ofl thehousing v'alve 49 "normally acts bygravity to close 51 fromvthe' main B. Thelball ment' 50-closed by ,ascreen the opening 47, and operates in the space-between thetwall 44'andthe screen Y51, land-in- ,'"cidentfto its lseat `in the opening l47vthe-same prevents back pressure I line 'C a'nd'prevents i' tofpass backinto thel dissolving fertilizer the supply line C i'du'ring periodsV oflidleness -ofthe fertilizing distridoutor,; whenA the *same isVfilledwith vthe liquid solution v-of fertilizer; f

' As tothe casing lportion v31 thru whichlthe to the nozzle immediate'lyabove the Vwallj36, Vintojthe r casing13.1"; andjin spaced 'relationwith the wall 36,fahorizontal partition'wall 457 is pro` l` vided,s'pacedbelow the junctureof-thewside opening 61 yinthefhorizontal wall57.y In the walls 13 'and 14,*t'o provide af'compartment into whichthech'arged waterrpasses thru v an i compartment 60v is'dispofse'd laball or 'other valve i62,-operatingjon-theopening =,61, i-n thenatureof-acheckjvalve. 4 `5o i'screenfGBjmay be disposed,inspacedfrelaltion "with theffacin'g wall 12, to* screen 4the liquid before enteringthe nozzle [D [and also to .guide thejb'allvalve 62 in the path Aofmovement; lfByF gravity, the ball fvalv'e '62 y drops ytogclosel.theopen1ng61,l and'it opens incident to release of water Ffrom the comparti 3 ment :15 fto thenozzlezl), but closes to prevent I y any :backpressure y Y y l from the Jnozzle D- into thexcompartment ofthe'hous'ing'B, as isfreadily yobvious from Figure 1 of the drawing.

Tlegwallf isprovided with an externally sor'ew'threaded vdischargenipple 67 thereon,

ventionafl' chara'cter.`

of liquid in the supply;

.exposed directly on tivelyxdiverge with respect to the housing walls 11and 12, as illustrated in Figure 1 'of 4the drawing. vThe vwalls 70 and71, or screens, vas the case may be, are in engagement at theirsideAedges with the converging side walls 13V and 14 of the housing B.

The compartment 8() between the perforated walls-orscr-eens and 71 andtheupwardlyl converging side walls 13) and 14fof the housing Vis adaptedto receive the fertilizing material 8121s illustrated in the drawing,and it is to be noted that this compartment 8O is in the shape of apyramid with its Vapex at the juncture of the upwardly converging sidelwalls 13 and 14 of the housing B. .In the side wall14 a screw threaded`opening -m1ay be provided., as illustrated in `Figure 2, wherein amanhole or cover 86 may detachlably fit as a means 'of access to theopening 80 for cleaning and filling the same.

" Under some circumstances where the volumeof the pyramidal compartment80 is to be variedthe screens or walls 7 6 and 71 may dent-to force,lifts the ball valve 49 oli" its seat, yand passes thru the screen lintothe compartment 15. Y The fertilizer is piled in substantially pyramidalshape between the screen walls `7() and 71, rand vthe water passes'th-ru theVv screen walls 70 and 71., and :thru the vcompartment 8Oabove the top of the fertilizer material 81,--and the *topsurfacefacin'g 'the passing Vwajteris dissolved and carried thereby'thru the discharge valve opening 61 and thru-thenozzle l) to thedesired location. T he fertilizingmaterial 81' is of a nature whichbecomes more soluble when exposed t'o water for a period, that is, thesame becomes more Lreadily soluble the longer that it is exposed to thewater.

ItV is of a nature which will Anot permit .thev water Vto pass directlytherethrough, but the water in order to discharge thru` the fertilizerdistributor must pass over thetop surface ofthe `fertilizer piled in thecompartment 8O between the screens and 71.r Thesides of the fertilizerv81 4exposed on the scr-eens 70 and 71will not charge the water inlthe-'housing B to any great extent,

butinasmuch as they do charge the watergto a y"CertaineXtent,-thischarge will always-beconst'ant, since while the sides ofthe fertilizerhave a less area as 'the fertilizer is lowered,

the screens 70 *and `71Y yet since the fertilizer is lof a nature whichvbecomes more soluble as it is exposed to the water for a longerperiod oftime, the fact exposed directly along the` screens 7 0 and 71 becomesless iscompe'nsat-- that the areav ed, in so' far aspercentage of chargeof water is concerned, by the .fact that the fertilizer ybecomes morevsoluble as-the period of time exposurev increases.y This fact is veryi1nportant when itis considered thatl an absolutely constant percentageofcharged"fertil-` f ized water is necessary atv all times, inde#pendent of the height course occupies the entire y Due to the obstructofvthe fertilizer in the pyramidal compartment 80. f v

' The Water on entering the ingress opening `passes thru the tank by wayof the screens ing vscreens-or perforated walls 70 and v"'l,

the action of the water is water passes therethrough ity in all parts of'its volume The fertilizer is dissolved and taken in vsolution by therwater fertilizer.

diffused, solthatthe coming in contactwith the' top surface of the Asi-`section of vthe s ace in the` Di'ramidal conil. at any rlevel ofthefertilizer, the

y,of solution will be constant,

i of charge of su.. partment 8O above the top of the fertilizerv .isproportionalto fthe area-of the i fertilizer f topexposed between thescreens 70. and 7l,

percentage thatis, the rate thev'wa'ter will be constant, and

will not vary;v

Variation inthe sizeof the y.pyramid 8011 ibeingconnected at their upperedges, substan-- lfrom given 4altitudes and spaced "dimensions 7 ofpyramid is always the saine,"although lby t f altering the altiude andbase Vproportions the richness of the charge of one sized pyramidalspace SO'may be changedwith respect'tothe f 'ingfan altitude of 8"(square, the fertilizing-charge ofthe waterv does'not changetheconstancy.. of 'the solu- C tion for'anyparticular'size of-pyramid. The*percentage of `charge for any particularsizeY richnessofthefertilizer-charge ofthe liquid passing thru a pyramidalspace 8O ofanother dimension. As i an the `pyramidal lpace`.8 O,- so that inthespe-y ciflc example of. a pyramidal space 80 havwould be highy and givea rich mixture.V On

e the other tion' is desired, thatis a .lean mixture of fer# the wateris desired, the altitude may;Y be made relatively great Icompared to thel i -side'dimensions ofthe base,and iii aninstance hand if aflcwyVpercentage solutilizer in suchv as the pyramid having an altitude of' l301 with a base squareof:6f,`theproportion of fertilizer tothe kquantitywith "equal rapidy lhe area lof the vertical vcross example, if a high.percentage vof solution, or 'a lrich mixture of l Vfertilizer inthewater isdesired, lthe altitude'-y ofthe p yrarnidal space .8 0 vismade small comf l pared with the sidediniensions of the base of with-,a'basel off 8l of wate'rin" `Ait is inilXed would be smal-l, and a leancharge l of fertilizer inthewat'erw'ould result.

.In either' oftherspecific'examples above f with fertilizer, fin aconstant manner,v according to adesired percentage ofcharge.

The` ,actual fertilizing inaterial used "does Y .not necessarilyfhave tobe an actual'chemicalv f solutionin thefwater, since in addition to"soineof thev fertilizer in solution' in the'water with certain powderedfertilizerssome of the fertilizer ywill change ,the relative proportionof fertilizer, with respect tothe water during the operation ofthedevice. H .f

Various changes 'in the shape, size, and arrangement ofV parts lmay Vbemadey to the ap andfdescribed, as well various fertilizing materials mayvariousproportiona .withoutl y departing `f roinfthespirit yof theinvention, or

paratus 'hereiny shown as the use of be' employed, in

`the-scope ofthe claims.` T f AI Clainq-r I 1' ci, f. ,Y -;`V

.ln a fertilizerdistributor the v combina-y tion .ofahousing including-a bottomwall, ope

connected-Lat opposite sides of thev bottom and marginal connectionvwith the upwardly eX- tending y. convergent' walls above mentionedbeing.v connected at their lower margins with tially vertically disposedside -walls having f Y economically manufa'cf` be carried in suspensionin the water, but'this'featurle does not in anyway'.

10e positelydisposed upwardly converging `walls the bottom to define acompartmentin theA housing, an inlet of saidsubstaniallyverticallydisposed sidev walls, an outlet connection at the topof theother Asubstantially vertical `substantially triangular shapedperforated walls in; the compartment of y.the housing in facing relationwith thev substantially verti- Lca'lly disposed side wallsv abovelmentioned connection at the top of one if l disposedgwall, e,

relativelyconverging upwardly from the botv-` ifff vtom to thetopconnection of tioned,said perforated walls andthe upwardy v the upwardlyv e converging walls ofthe housingy first nien-1 112e fly convergingwalls of the housing first men- "shaped compartment -therein ladapted'toreceive a mittingV the .L fertilizer VtoV shapedcoinpartment. l

4 2.y `In' afertilize tioned providing a substantially; pyramidal .A v

Soluble fertilizer, 1nd `means for adfsfaid pyramidalflZl :nl: c.rdianbufr-the 'Combina-7 l i Y, tion of'ahousing-includingabasesupportin-g Wall, oppositelydisposed'-upwardlyconvergingwallsfconnected with the basewalhfotherh 1,30. Yl" l' 'l side-wallsconnectedv with the base and together with the converging wallsprovidingy a compartmentin the housing, inlet and loutlet openingsvatoppos'itelsi'desv of the housing between said converging walls by meansof whiehwaterma-y be forced through the hous-` ing parallel betweensaidconverging walls,V and upwardly converging' screen walls eX- tendingvfrom the base and arranged transverse to the converging wallsand eachobstructing the housing compartment complete- -ly between saidconvergingrwalls to provide with said convergingfwalls la pyramidalshaped space adapted to receive a fertilizer.

Y *3. In a fertilizer'` distributor the combination ofastructureincludingjoppositely dis- Y posed'imperforate upwardlyconvergent walls and other oppositely disposed'perforated upwardlyconvergent walls connected with the. first mentioned walls and togethertherewith forming` an upwardly tap ering comp artment, housing means,associated withv said walls at the Vouter sidespof the perforated wallspro-` Ividingr otherwise closed comp artnientsV facing saidperforatedwalls throughout theheight thereof and relatively shut offfrom each .othereXcept through the perforated walls, and inletr and.outlet ymeans arranged on the `housing'means at theouter sides of theperforated walls, byf means of which water maybe forced through the.compartments vp ar allel between the imperforate convergent walls and`through the perforated walls in a horizontal cours'eat a location nearthe upper part of the vergent walls.;

taperedv compartment" 'between thevv said ycon-k FRANK R. BowMAN.

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